Heidi Westover, 30, of Walpole, NH, heads down Main Street in Burlington Sunday on her way to winning her fifth KeyBank Vermont City Marathon in six years. / ANDY DUBACK, for the Free Press

Dan Vassallo of Wilmington, Mass., approaches the finish line as the top overall male finisher in the 23rd KeyBank Vermont City Marathon in Burlington Sunday morning, May 29, 2011. / SHANE BUFANO, for the Free Press

The three biggest pre-race threats to the 23rd annual Vermont City Marathon — heavy rain, searing heat, and course erosion — failed to materialize as Burlington played host on its waterfront to roughly 8,000 runners on Sunday.

Before the race, officials also had to shore up part of the recreation path along the shoreline and adjusted a short portion of the 26.2-mile course due to the high water levels along Lake Champlain, but race director Peter Delaney said he had heard no comments or complaints, crediting Burlington crews for helping prepare the course.

While the medical tents both at the halfway point at Oakledge Park and the finish line at Waterfront Park had their usual exhausted, cramped or dehydrated runners, no major health issues were reported, marathon Medical Coordinator Denise Alosa of South Burlington said. Two cases of possible heat stroke were reported. She noted that Burlington has not had any hot and humid weather this spring for runners to get accustomed to running in.

“It was more humid than what we would have liked,” Alosa said.

Marathon organizers took the extra step Friday of conducting a news conference to warn runners to drink water and monitor their body’s reaction to temperatures that initially were predicted to be in the low- to mid-80s. Cloud cover helped keep the temperature in the mid- to high 70s during Sunday’s race.

“I think it has been certainly better then what we were expecting within the last couple of days,” Delaney said of Sunday’s outcome. “I think most of the runners have said, given the conditions, they were quite pleased with the course.”

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As for the competition, Heidi Westover of Walpole, N.H., became the marathon’s first five-time winner — indeed, there isn’t even another four-time winner — by capturing the women’s division in a time of 2:46.49. Dan Vassallo of Wilmington, Mass. won the men’s race in a time of two hours, 24 minutes, nine seconds.

And handcyclist Jeremy Shortsleeve was the first person to cross the finish line Sunday, winning the handcyclist division in just under 1 hour and 31 minutes, or about four seconds better than his previous record.

In all, about 3,600 people registered for the full marathon, while everyone else ran as part of relay teams. There was some early rain at the start of the 8 a.m. race to help cool down runners. Several half marathoners said at Oakledge Park the rain helped them meet their time goal. The fans along the course also provide extra incentive, they said.

“It brings the running community and Burlington together and everybody kind of gets up for it. It is a really fun event,” said Essex Elementary teacher Abbey Kaknes, who normally runs the full race, but had to settle for a two-person relay this year due to an injury.

Even Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin got caught up in Vermont City Marathon fever. He ran the final 5.5-mile leg for a relay team and came away in awe of the course.

“There were really no low points. It’s a beautiful run, great views, great people, great people encouraging you on,” said Shumlin, who is believed to be only the second sitting governor to run in the marathon.

Gov. Howard Dean ran the first leg — 3.3 miles – in the 1994 race. Gov. Jim Douglas for the past eight years sounded the starting horn.

Shumlin said he had little time to train with a hectic first five months running the state.

“I’ve got to tell you, with my schedule, my staff doesn’t give me the time to run I use to,” the former president pro tem of the Senate said.

Former St. Albans resident Hillary Read, who now lives in San Francisco, said she was impressed by the condition of the course, especially with the erosion caused by the lake chewing away the shoreline in recent weeks.

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“It is so well run. After seeing all the flooding along the shore, I can’t believe the course is intact as much as it is,” said Read, a former Burlington Free Press sportswriter.

“ I was sure that down by Oakledge that they were going to have to re-route things, but they must have done a major job getting it ready. It was just a little soggy, but nothing big,” said Read, who ran on a two-person rely with Becky Martel, a Williston teacher.

Deputy Police Chief Andi Higbee said as the years go on, the marathon has become a well-oiled machine.

“From our standpoint, things have gone along very well. It’s almost perfected from our standpoint. For traffic, we have worked with the marathon folks over the years,” Higbee said.

While much of the focus of the day is on the runners, there are countless volunteers before, during and after the race making sure it goes on without a hitch.

For volunteer John Schmeltzer of Moretown, the marathon allowed him to put on a new hat this year. The former marathon runner decided he wanted to give back this year.

He was more like a traffic cop directing runners at the midpoint into either the through lane or off the course to the left for the two-person timing chip exchange.

And it was contagious. His 10-year-old daughter Anna, was helping in the food tent for runners up the hill.

“I’ve done it for so long, the volunteers have been do great so I wanted to give back to the runners,” Schmeltzer said.